If you’ve ever sat in an even smaller than usual coach seat, had your flight canceled, or fought with a rude customer service agent—you know the airline you fly can make a huge difference in the pleasantness of your trip.
10.05.2024 - 14:37 / thepointsguy.com
If you're a traveler with limited mobility, a cruise can be a great way to see the world without having to worry as much about logistics. Because all major cruise lines must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, they must ensure ships are equipped with accessible accommodations.
"In my experience, I've found that the newer the ship is, the more accessible it tends to be," Cory Lee, owner of wheelchair-accessible travel website Curb Free with Cory Lee, told TPG. "Any time a new cruise ship comes out, it seems like accessibility improves a bit.
"The major cruise lines here in the U.S. have pretty good accessibility usually. I'd also say that the larger the cruise ship is, the more accessible it is. Small ships and river cruises are not ideal for wheelchair users, and many are completely inaccessible. But if you stick to the big cruise lines, at least some level of accessibility is guaranteed," he added.
For more cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter.
We're calling out the cruise lines that do their best to cater to wheelchair users and passengers with limited mobility. Here are our top choices for lines offering everything from wider gangways, automatic doors, grab bars and lowered sinks to accessible theaters and restaurants.
In addition to wheelchair-accessible seating in theaters and restaurants, Carnival Cruise Line's ships offer accessible elevators and public restrooms. They also offer three different types of accessible cabins.
Cabin types include ambulatory accessible cabins for cruisers who require canes and walkers but not wheelchairs. Wheelchair and scooter users can access fully accessible, stair-free, flat-threshold cabins; these offer wider (32-inch) doorways, turning space and bathrooms equipped with grab bars and shower seats. Some fully accessible rooms provide extra space on only one side of the bed, while others have wider access on both sides.
Related: The ultimate guide to Carnival Cruise Line ships and itineraries
Pool lifts are available on Carnival Celebration, Carnival Firenze, Carnival Freedom, Carnival Horizon, Carnival Jubilee, Carnival Miracle, Carnival Panorama, Carnival Paradise, Carnival Pride, Carnival Radiance, Carnival Sunrise, Carnival Venezia, Carnival Vista and Mardi Gras.
Wheelchairs and scooters can be rented and made available on board via Carnival's partnership with Scootaround. The line also provides airport transfers with wheelchair lifts when you make arrangements in advance.
Carnival has a dedicated Guest Access Team to answer questions and assist with cruise planning related to accessibility. You can reach the team by calling 800-438-6744 (extension 70025) or emailing [email protected].
Celebrity Cruises offers
If you’ve ever sat in an even smaller than usual coach seat, had your flight canceled, or fought with a rude customer service agent—you know the airline you fly can make a huge difference in the pleasantness of your trip.
Jackson Hole offers adventure for every season. This wondrous Wyoming destination is irresistible to skiers eager to conquer the surrounding slopes, hikers longing to summit stunning peaks and naturalists excited to trek into some of the United States’ top national parks. The town, nestled amid the Rocky Mountains, makes a scenic base camp with luxurious lodgings to match. The next time adventure calls, Jackson Hole and its amazing accommodations await.
Belfast did not have the best of starts to 2024. Never mind the mass public sector strikes, the not-unrelated fact of Northern Ireland being without a functioning government (the government returned, the strikes were settled, or suspended … for now), at the end of January, one of the city’s most respected – revered – publicans, Pedro Donald, who over the years had brought us the John Hewitt, La Boca, the Sunflower and the American Bar, announced that he was leaving for Amsterdam. There may not be bombs and bullets any more, he said, but Belfast was “a dump and derelict”. Indeed, apart from a few good years between the Good Friday agreement and the financial crash, the city was in many ways no further on than when he started in the trade in 1984.
Norwegian Cruise Line is celebrating educators by offering discounted cruises and rewarding 20 teachers with a free cruise on the company’s newest ship.
Much of Challengers’ runtime not spent on a tennis court goes down in a suite and lobby bar at an unnamed luxury New Rochelle hotel. (The film was shot in Boston.) While the techno-pulsing tennis piece of erotica never establishes whether or not these lodgings have a place to play on the premises, there are allusions to sports power couple Tashi and Art Donaldson’s (Zendaya and Mike Faist, respectively) preferred vacation destinations when off the clock. Considering the former’s clinging obsession with the game, and use of the latter as her proxy (she cannot play following an injury), it would be difficult to imagine tennis isn’t somehow involved.
A cruise ship employee was arrested after he allegedly used scissors to stab three people aboard a ship that was traveling to Alaska.
It’s an unfortunate truth that air travel has become an overall frustrating experience. With shrinking seats, crowded flights, and rising fees for services like checking a bag, it’s enough to make even the most savvy of travelers exasperated. But a select number of airlines continue to stand out from the rest, with refreshingly smooth operations and passenger-friendly cabins.
Princess Cruises is bringing back a much-loved set of itineraries that it hasn't offered in years.
It’s been yet another rocky year for the airlines amid a parade of troubling headlines ranging from problems with Boeing aircraft to concerns about cancellations and delays as we head into what could be a record-breaking summer for air travel. So, it may come as little surprise that fliers have mixed feelings about the airlines these days.
What’s the best airline in 2024? It depends on the cabin you fly. Delta Airlines comes in at top for both first-class travelers and those who fly in premium economy, according to J.D. Power’s newest 2024 customer satisfaction survey that ranks North American airlines.
Part of the and specialising in ranch holidays across the US and Canada, leading tour operator American Round-Up is thrilled to announce a fresh lineup of captivating Western adventures for 2024. The list includes Ranchlands’ new Paintrock Canyon Ranch, the stylish glamping retreat located at the base of the Big Horn Mountains in Northern Wyoming, and The True Collection’s latest Yellowstone ranch pop-up, the historic Blackwater Creek Ranch only 15 miles from the east gates of America’s first ever national park.
Halloween may still be six months away. But Mickey and Minnie are already gearing up for the spooky holiday.